The Attorney-General.—“It was so stated, and the witness was not
cross-examined. Well, then, my Lords, a Captain Tuckett, whose name is
Harvey Garnett Phipps Tuckett, was proved by Mr. Codd to have been an
officer of the 11th Hussars, Lord Cardigan’s regiment. He gave his card,
with the 11th Hussars upon it.”
Sir W. Follett.—“No, no; you are quite mistaken.”
The Attorney-General.—“Well, he has one name at least corresponding with
that of the Captain Tuckett who fought the duel on Wimbledon Common.
Will your lordships require strict evidence of this gentleman’s
Christian name—evidence that will amount to a demonstration? If there is
evidence from which the inference may be fairly drawn, is not that
sufficient? Well, then, here is a Captain Tuckett, whose name is proved
to be Harvey Garnett Phipps Tuckett, who has been in the 11th Hussars,
from which he retired three or four years ago, and who receives his
half-pay quarterly from Mr. Codd, his agent. May it not be fairly
inferred from these circumstances, that this was the same Captain
Tuckett who had offices in the Poultry, and who had fought a duel? Is
there not evidence from which that identity may be fairly inferred? Is
the prosecution to be stopped on the ground that there is no evidence
whatever to go to a jury, or to your lordships, that this Captain
Tuckett, whose name is proved to be Harvey Garnett Phipps Tuckett, is
the same who was the antagonist of the Earl of Cardigan on the 12th
September? I believe there is no reasonable being, who, having heard
this evidence out of a court of justice, would hesitate in drawing the
inference. I apprehend, that what is sufficient to convince a reasonable
man out of a court of justice ought to be sufficient to convince a judge
or judges sitting in a court of justice, if the inference which is to be
drawn can be drawn according to the rules of evidence. Now, according to
the rules of evidence, would any person out of a court of justice doubt
for a moment that this is the same individual who fought on the 12th of
September? Well, then, if that inference would be drawn out of a court
of justice, can it be said that in a court of justice there is not a
scintilla of evidence from which such an inference can be drawn? This
would be a most unsatisfactory conclusion of such a trial. Your
lordships will weigh the evidence maturely and deliberately, and if you
think that it is not sufficient to convict the noble Lord at the bar, of
course you will acquit him, and will say, ‘Not guilty, upon my honour,’
but you will not stop the prosecution upon an objection like this.”